MLB Player News

Diaz, who received a demotion to Triple-A Las Vegas on Sunday after a very slow start to spring, may need to improve his conditioning in order to earn a call back up to the big-league club, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Diaz started 37 games at third base last season, but that didn't earn him enough capital to offset an .083 average across 10 Cactus League games to open spring training. The Athletics also have some viable contenders for the starting role at the hot corner, including Darell Hernaiz and Abraham Toro. As such, Diaz may have an uphill battle in the short term to log big-league at-bats, but getting into better condition will help his chances. "He's a kid that is working on certain things and understanding where he needs to be physically," manager Mark Kotsay said. "Getting to that place will help him not just this year, but for his future, too."

Harrison is projected for a roster spot, per the latest roster projection from C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic.

The 80-game suspension handed out to Noelvi Marte opens up a roster spot that figures to come down to Harrison, Mike Ford or Tony Kemp. Rosecrans makes the point that of those three, Harrison provides the most versatility. He started games at four different defensive positions for the Phillies in 2023. Harrison is 3-for-16 with a double and an RBI in seven games this spring.

The Rays optioned Shenton to minor-league camp Monday.

Shenton went 7-for-27 with an 8:1 K:BB over 27 at-bats this spring. The 26-year-old had a monster 1.006 OPS with 29 home runs between Double-A Montgomery and Triple-A Durham in 2023 and is a good bet to make his MLB debut at some point this season. Shenton is primarily a corner infielder but has dabbled in left field and at second base, too, giving him multiple potential avenues to playing time with the big club.

The Rays optioned Caminero to minor-league camp Monday.

The top prospect got a cup of coffee with Tampa Bay last season, but the feeling has been for a while that Caminero was destined for Triple-A Durham to begin 2024. The 20-year-old will be making his first stop at Durham, as he skipped over that level when he was promoted in 2023. Caminero still has a good shot to spend ample time in the majors in 2024, particularly if he can make some strides with his defense.

The Marlins optioned Bride to Triple-A Jacksonville on Monday.

Bride logged 106 plate appearances in the majors with Oakland in 2023, but he'll likely have a tougher path to meaningful action in the big leagues with the Marlins, who acquired him in February. The 28-year-old should play on an everyday basis for Jacksonville to begin the 2024 campaign and will likely need one of the Marlins' corner infielders to fall victim to an injury before he receives an opportunity with the big club.

Vosler signed a minor-league contract with the Mariners on Saturday.

Seattle assigned Vosler to Triple-A Tacoma immediately after his signing, so he doesn't appear as though he'll receive the chance to compete for a spot on the Mariners' Opening Day roster and will instead serve as organizational corner-infield depth. Vosler spent the entire 2023 campaign as a member of the Reds organization, hitting .161 with three home runs and 10 RBI across 65 plate appearances at the big-league level and posting an .815 OPS over 363 plate appearances at Triple-A Louisville.

Davis was released by the Giants on Monday, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Davis went unclaimed after the Giants placed him on waivers Saturday following the Matt Chapman signing and now is free to sign anywhere. Because the 30-year-old elected to take the Giants to arbitration this offseason, the club will have to pay him only a fraction of the $6.9 million he had been owed. Davis slashed .248/.325/.413 with 18 home runs across 544 plate appearances last season and should receive plenty of interest on the open market.

The White Sox optioned Ramos to Double-A Birmingham on Monday.

Ramos has yet to play above the Double-A level and was never under serious consideration for a spot on the White Sox's Opening Day squad, despite entering his second season as a member of the 40-man roster. He'll head back to Birmingham to begin the 2024 campaign after he slashed .271/.369/.457 with 14 home runs across 339 plate appearances with the affiliate in 2023.

Batten was optioned to Triple-A El Paso on Monday, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

The move further clarifies the Padres' third base picture, as Batten had been in competition with Graham Pauley and Eguy Rosario for playing time at the hot corner until Manny Machado (elbow) is ready to play the field. Batten probably has the best glove of the trio, but he's limited offensively and went just 3-for-24 at the plate this spring.

Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said Monday that Jung (calf) is expected to play in the team's final two exhibition games March 25 and 26 versus the Red Sox at Globe Life Field, Jeff Wilson of RangersToday.com reports.

If those two games wind up being the only two exhibition contests that Jung plays, it may not be sufficient enough for him to gain clearance for Opening Day on March 28 against the Cubs. However, the Rangers don't appear to have ruled out Jung being ready for the start of the regular season. Jung has been slowed by a left calf strain in camp, and while a recent MRI showed healing, he hasn't yet been cleared for running.